1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display and a display panel used in the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvement of a structure for fixing the display panel to the display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flat panel displays represented by liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, and the like, use glass substrates comprising transparent electrodes made of indium tin oxide (ITO). Recently, image displays using plastic substrates instead of the glass substrates have been on the market, because the plastic substrates are lightweight, and further, can be thinned because they are not fragile.
A display panel is, together with a circuit board, a light guiding plate, or the like, installed in a casing. As shown in FIG. 19, when mounting a display panel 302 to a casing 301 as a support or another components, relative position of the panel 302 with respect to these components is first determined and then the panel 302 is fixed thereto. For instance, in a procedure, there is provided a frame 304 in the casing for surrounding the panel 302, into which the panel 302 is fitted, thus positioning the panel 302, which is thereafter fixed to the casing 301 by means of suitable means.
In case of the panel using the glass substrates, as shown in FIG. 19, an adhesive double coated tape 303 has been used for fixing the panel 302. This fixing method takes some trouble in attaching the tape 303 to the casing 301 or the like. Besides, in a case where the display panel using the plastic substrates is fixed by means of the adhesive double coated tape, when the panel is detached for the purpose of correction of its position or the like, after fixed, it might be plastically deformed by a stress applied to the plastic substrate.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image display in which a display panel is capable of being easily positioned, and the display panel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image display in which a display panel is capable of being removably and easily fixed, and the display panel.
To achieve the above-described objects, there is provided an image display comprising: a substrate including a light function layer for displaying an image by emitting or blocking light in accordance with a supplied voltage; and a frame body for surrounding the substrate, wherein a concave portion or a convex portion is provided on a side surface of the substrate, the convex portion or the concave portion is provided on an inner side of a side surface of the frame body, and the convex portion is fitted to the concave portion. With this constitution, the substrate having the light function layer, and hence the display panel, can be easily positioned in the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate.
The convex portion or the concave portion may be comprised of an elastic body.
Also, a pressing force by the elastic body may act between convex portion and the concave portion in the direction parallel to the substrate. With this constitution, by suitably selecting the elastic force, the substrate can be fixed to the frame body by the friction force between the convex portion and the concave portion.
The elastic body may be comprised of a spring.
The spring may be comprised of a plate spring.
The elastic body may be comprised of a cushion.
The cushion may be made of rubber.
The substrate may be fixed to the frame body by a friction force generated between the convex portion and the concave portion in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. With this constitution, the display panel can be removably and easily fixed to the frame body.
The frame body may be of a rectangular-ring shape or of a U-shape.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an image display comprising: a substrate including a light function layer for displaying an image by emitting or blocking light in accordance with a supplied voltage; and a base on which the substrate is placed, wherein a concave portion is provided on a lower surface of the substrate, a convex portion is provided on an upper surface of the base, and the convex portion is fitted to the concave portion. With this constitution, the substrate having the light function layer, and hence the display panel, can be easily positioned in the direction parallel to the substrate.
The concave portion may extend from the base toward the substrate and the convex portion is column-shaped such that it extends from the base toward the substrate, the concave portion may have a small cross-sectional area portion and a large cross-sectional area portion along a plane orthogonal to a direction from the base toward the substrate on the base side and on the substrate side, respectively, the convex portion may have a small cross-sectional area portion and a large cross-sectional area portion along a plane orthogonal to the direction from the base toward the substrate on the base side and on the substrate side, respectively, and the large cross-sectional area portion of the convex portion may be fitted to the large cross-sectional area portion of the concave portion and the large cross-sectional area portion of the convex portion may be engaged with the small cross-sectional area portion of the concave portion. With this constitution, the display panel can be removably and easily fixed to the base.
According to the present invention, there is further provided an image display comprising: a substrate including a light function layer for displaying an image by emitting or blocking light in accordance with a supplied voltage; and a base on which the substrate is placed, wherein a convex portion is provided on a lower surface of the substrate, a concave portion is provided on an upper surface of the base, and the convex portion is fitted to the concave portion. With this constitution, the substrate having the light function layer, and hence the display panel, can be easily positioned in the direction parallel to the substrate.
The concave portion may extend from the substrate toward the base and the convex portion is column-shaped such that it extends from the substrate toward the base, the concave portion may have a small cross-sectional area portion and a large cross-sectional area portion along a plane orthogonal to a direction from the substrate toward the base on the substrate side and the on the base side, respectively, the convex portion may have a small cross-sectional area portion and a large cross-sectional area portion along a plane orthogonal to a direction from the substrate toward the base, on the substrate side and on the base side, respectively, and the large cross-sectional area portion of the convex portion may be fitted to the large cross-sectional area concave portion and the large cross-sectional area portion of the convex portion may be engaged with the small cross-sectional area portion of the concave portion. With this constitution, the display panel can be removably and easily fixed to the base.
Still further, there is provided an image display comprising: a substrate including a light function layer for displaying an image by emitting or blocking light in accordance with a supplied voltage; and a base on which the substrate is placed, wherein the substrate is fixed to the base by means of a screw. With this constitution, the substrate having the light function layer, and hence the display panel, can be removably and easily fixed to the base.
The light function layer may be a liquid crystal layer and the base is a light guiding plate for guiding light from a light source toward the liquid crystal layer. Thereby, the fixing structure of the display panel can be simplified.
The substrate may be made of resin.
Also, a plurality of convex portion and a plurality of concave portions may be provided.
The light function layer may be made of an inorganic fluorescent material, an organic fluorescent material, or liquid crystal. In the plasma display, an applied voltage causes a gas to be excited to thereby emit ultraviolet rays, which collide with the organic fluorescent material, thereby emitting light. Also, in the organic EL device, the voltage is applied to the organic fluorescent material to thereby emit light. Accordingly, by making the light function layer of the inorganic fluorescent material, the organic fluorescent material, or liquid crystal, the present invention is applicable to the plasma display, the organic EL device, and the liquid crystal display.
Also, there is provided an image display comprising: a substrate including a light function layer for displaying an image by emitting or blocking light in accordance with a supplied voltage; and a frame body for surrounding the substrate, wherein the substrate is fixed to the frame body by a friction force generated between them. With this constitution, the substrate having the light function layer, and hence the display panel, can be removably fixed to the frame body.
Further, there is provided an image display comprising: a substrate including a light function layer for displaying an image by emitting or blocking light in accordance with a supplied voltage; and a circuit board provided with a drive circuit for supplying the voltage to the light function layer, wherein the circuit board is fixed at both ends to different main surfaces of the substrate. With this constitution, since the both ends of the flexible circuit board are fixed to the substrate, the need for members in addition to the display panel for the purpose of fixing the ends of the flexible circuit board is eliminated. Therefore, a compact image display is attained.
In the image display, one end of the circuit board may be fixed to a surface of the substrate having the light function layer, a fixing pin may be provided on a surface of the substrate on the opposite side of the surface on which the light function layer is provided, the circuit board may be provided with a concave portion or a through hole, and part of the circuit board may be fixed to the surface of the substrate on the opposite side of the surface on which the light function layer is provided by engagement of the fixing pin with the concave portion or the through hole. With this constitution, the circuit board can be easily fixed to the surface of the substrate on the opposite side of the surface on which the light function layer is provided.
Also, one end of the circuit board may be fixed to a surface of the substrate having the light function layer, a concave portion or a through hole may be provided on a surface of the substrate on the opposite side of the surface on which the light function layer is provided, a fixing pin may be provided on the circuit board, and part of the circuit board may be fixed to the surface of the substrate on the opposite side of the surface on which the light function layer is provided by engagement of the fixing pin with the concave portion or the through hole.
Moreover, there is provided a display panel comprising: a substrate including a light function layer for displaying an image by emitting or blocking light in accordance with a supplied voltage, wherein a concave portion is provided on a side surface of the substrate. Thereby, by providing the convex portion on the inner side of the side surface of frame body for surrounding the substrate, the display panel can be positioned easily in the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings.